Ice Flyers Finish Best Weekend With Series Win Against Marksmen, Gain In Standings
By Bill Vilona, Ice Flyers Correspondent
In summoning a resolve and determined effort, the Ice Flyers just celebrated their best weekend of the season.
They answered three times Sunday with tying goals, then took over the third period for a 6-3 win against the Fayetteville Marksmen to win the three-game series, gain five points, and change the vibe throughout the Pensacola Bay Center.
It was something that had been missing until now.
“It’s a huge step in the right direction with these guys,” said Ice Flyers team captain Jake Hamilton, who twice brawled in Saturday’s blowout win to fire up the crowd and teammates, then helped defensive effort Sunday.
“This is the time to start jelling together and that time is starting to happen now,” Hamilton said. “The hockey gods are taking our side with some of the puck luck and some of these timely goals.
“The biggest thing I am proud with this group is we’ve learned to battle adversity. We learned to battle bad reps and we learned to battle from behind.
“Hockey is not a perfect game. That’s what makes it entertaining too. You never know what is going to happen. Just how we responded has been night and day from the team we used to be.”
The Ice Flyers produced a pair of tying goals in the first period, added another in the second period, then followed a go-ahead goal by Sam Dabrowski with 9:46 remaining to seal the game with two empty net goals in the final three minutes.
“Obviously, we knew it was a big weekend for us… three games all on home ice,” said Ice Flyers coach Gary Graham. “We haven’t played great on home ice, we want to reward the fans. Friday night (an OT shootout loss), I thought we deserved a better outcome.
But we played well enough to get a point that night. And we set that goal right away. We wanted to get five out of six points. What’s rewarding for me is that we are going to have to set some goals to make the playoffs down the stretch.
“That was a goal they set … to get five of six points, but as simple as that may sound, it’s not easy, right? You still have to go out and work hard and it’s never easy to beat any team in this league. We are trying to keep everything in segments here and keep (players) hungry, because that’s what we have to do.”
In winning Sunday, the Ice Flyers moved just one point behind the Macon Mayhem to escape last place in the Southern Professional Hockey League standings. They are now six points behind the Evansville Thunderbolts for eighth place – the final playoff spot – and will play at Evansville on Friday and Saturday.
“It puts us back in the hunt and that’s what it’s always been about for me,” said Ice Flyers goalie Brody Claeys. “We have some much talent in that locker room. There are so many guys who can play hockey at an extremely high level and coach (Graham) has all the right details for us and it’s really been about executing.
The Ice Flyers will leave early Tuesday, likely in advance of a potential winter storm for Pensacola, traveling to Evansville where they will work out on Wednesday and Thursday before playing back-to-back games. They will complete a vital road trip by facing first-place Huntsville Havoc next Sunday.
A quick recap of the latest win.
FIRST PERIOD
The Ice Flyers twice got tying goals in the opening period and headed to intermission with the game tied 2-2.
Fayetteville’s Alex Gritz began his three-goal night with a wrist shot through some traffic with 13:55 left.
The Ice Flyers Matt Wiesner answered on a rebound that occurred from a wrap-around attempt with 8:38. On the play, the puck caromed free off the goaltender’s pads and Wiesner had an easy finish into the open net.
But a minute later, Gritz had a two-on-one situation down the left side, chose to shoot and the puck skirted through Claeys pads into the net.
The Ice Flyers got an equalizer with their first of two power play goals in the game. Blake Tosto gained the rebound off Ivan Bondarenko’s one-timer attempt from the other faceoff circle and buried the second chance with 4:50 remaining.
SECOND PERIOD
Gritz completed his hat trick for the Marksmen seven minutes into the period for a 3-2 lead at the time. Again, it was a 2-on-1 situation where Gritz’ wrister eluded Claeys and into the net.
The score remained that way until 3:04 left in the period when Bondarenko again helped the tying goal with a pass to Doug Elgstam, who uncorked a one-timer past Ryan Kenny, trying the game a third time.
A minute later, multiple penalties ensued from the game’s only true scrum. The Ice Flyers’ Sam Dabrowski was whistled for shoving a Marksmen player from behind after the dust settled. It gave Fayetteville a power-play to end the period, but the Ice Flyers penalty kill thwarted any good look and went into intermission deadlocked again.
“I think we really added some grit that we needed, and it has gone a long ways,” Claeys said. “We have a lot of guys who have just bought in and wanted it more than the other team.”
THIRD PERIOD
Just one second after the Ice Flyers Doug Elgstam emerged from the penalty box, the Ice Flyers finished a penalty kill as Sam Dobrowski gained the puck off the boards and created a two-on-one situation. He rifled a wrist shot into the net with 8:46 remaining for the team’s first lead.
Fayetteville called timeout with 3:02 remaining and the Marksmen opted to pull their goaltender for an extra attacker. The Ice Flyers twice one puck battles and finished the play with empty net goals. Tosto scored his second goal with 2:44 remaining and Bondarenko finished his big night with the final one with 48 seconds left.
Graham credited Houston Wilson for his effort in creating Tosto’s goal.
“He has relentless pursuit of forecheck,” Graham said. “That is what he brings to the table. He is relentless forechecker, Houston was able to get u there and caused the chaos.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
WHO: Ice Flyers vs. Evansville Thunderbolts
WHEN: Friday-Saturday (Jan. 24-25), both games at 7:05 p.m.
WHERE: The Ford Center, Evansville, Indiana.
LIVESTREAM: FloHockey (subscription required).
LIVE STATS: www.thesphl.com
ALSO: Ice Flyers vs. Huntsville Havoc, Jan. 26., 5 p.m., Huntsville, Ala.
NEXT HOME GAMES: Jan. 31-Feb. 1 vs. Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs
BID ON AUTOGRAPHED GOAL PUCKS FROM TONIGHT
BID ON BRODY CLAEY’S SIGNED WHITE JERSEY FROM HIS FIGHT SATURDAY NIGHT
